a bleeding purple utah jazz blog

Game 2 at DEN: Blurgh. Deja Vu

Check out the Jazz defense. Notice how four of five Jazzmen don’t even move.

Caught a bit of KFAN’s post-game, in which they shrugged off this loss as the equivalent of a fourth pre-season game. There is some sense in that, but yesterday was also the equivalent of LAL’s fifth pre-season game, and today was also the equivalent of Denver’s fourth pre-season game.

There’s no sense in comparing the Jazz to LAL, but Denver is similar to us in that they also went through a mid-season trade of a star last year and have a couple of raw rookies and young bigs. So if you want to say that it was the equivalent of a fourth pre-season game, fine. But why they look like that, and why we look like this?

Where was the pride? Denver was jamming on us time and time again on completely open paths to the basket and couldn’t miss on 3s, while their bench was sitting there laughing at our futility. The Jazz responded by not responding. CJ hit a couple of shots in the second half and what happens? Neither he nor any of his teammates bothered to get back on the other end. I’ve never been as humiliated in real life as I was for the Jazz.

It’s not that we lost. It’s the way we lost. I think reasonable Jazz fans aren’t expecting a lot of wins this year. That’s fine; we’re a young team and we’re rebuilding. We were, however, supposed to be a team that fought and refused to sink into a losing culture like the team did in February and March last season. That team is the one we’ve seen in the two games so far. Uninvolved; dispassionate; disengaged; a bunch of statues.

Why did we love the 2003-2004 team so much, even though they didn’t make the Playoffs? Because they literally had no talent except for Andrei Kirilenko, but they were tough and fought and hustled every night. Yes, it’s one game. Yes, it’s two games. But like I said, it’s not that we lose. It’s how we lose.

Finally, I know everyone wants to talk about Alec Burks, but all I have to say is that he should’ve gotten minutes earlier. He did what he did in garbage time. It was nice to see, but it was garbage time. He should’ve gotten minutes earlier. Kind of the same thing with Derrick Favors. Would it really have affected the outcome of the game if he’d fouled out? He had two fouls. *shrug* Let him keep playing.

Random Notes:** Sigh.

** I (surprisingly, even to myself) preferred watching Jamaal Tinsley run the offense over Devin Harris. Tinsley’s head was at least in the game, and he looked like he cared. This stands out to me: Harris had 8 FGA and 2 assists in 22 minutes with a +/- of -13. Tinsley and Earl Watson had a combined 1 FGA and 8 assists in 26 minutes with a +/- of -4.

** Been so much turnover of the Jazz roster that seeing The Koof was like seeing a dear old friend.

** First thought that flashed through my mind upon seeing this: Ty Corbin resigned. It’s still all too fresh.

Unintentional Dirty Quote Machines of the Night** Thurl, pre-game: You have to do it in spurts.** Harpring: Nene serving up facials.** Harpring: I love how Paul Millsap contorts his body and is still able to finish.** Boler: Kanter pump and off the rim. Jazz have gone dry.** Harpring: You see George Karl going right at the rookie coming out of the timeout.** Harpring on Nene: I tell you what, he’s got that one-hand-palm, leg-spread dunk down tonight.** Harpring: I can’t get over the speed of Lawson.** Boler: Hayward, deep, got it!** Boler: Harris, up and in!** Boler on Jeremy Evans: His length is scary good.** Tom Nissalke, post-game: I did that with Jerry West a few times, and he liked it.